Yoav Galant: Israel Will Not Halt War Until Hostages Are Freed

Yoav Galant, Israel's Defense Minister, stated on Tuesday that Israel will not cease its battle against the terrorist group Hamas until the 239 Israeli hostages in Gaza are released. He referenced the dozens of children abducted by Hamas, saying, "As long as we do not bring them back, we will not stop the war. Which father would stop searching for his children? I see them as my own children." Galant added that Hamas members hiding in the tunnels beneath Shifa Hospital in Gaza City are terrified of the Israeli army's operations in the area. He also mentioned that the Israeli army is developing new methods to safely deal with the necessity of entering or destroying tunnels without harming hostages that may be present there. Galant reiterated Israel's commitment to reaching all terrorists involved in the October 7 massacres by Hamas in southern Israel. Referring to the northern front, he stated that Hezbollah in Lebanon "has tried to harm Israel and has suffered a consecutive blow." He warned that Israeli Air Force pilots are ready and waiting for orders, keeping their "eyes on the north." He also committed to rebuilding and revitalizing communities near Gaza that were destroyed and evacuated a few days later. Hamas killed at least 1,400 Israelis, mostly civilians, in the terrorist attack on October 7 and abducted about 240 Israelis and foreign nationals, including children, women, and the elderly. The United States, Canada, the European Union, Japan, Israel, and several other countries have classified Hamas as a terrorist organization.